CYCLING ALONE OR IN A GROUP?

As I ride my bike most often alone, I thought it was worth taking a closer look. At first glance, it seems trivial, but you’ll see that it’s not the case at all. Cycling gives you freedom, pleasure, and joy. You can experience it yourself, you can experience it with another person, you can also experience it with a larger group of people. But it’s only with time that the things that come to mind are those that escaped at first. Safety, rhythm adjustment, loneliness, and companionship. These are not life dilemmas, but it is worth considering all aspects of driving alone and in a group.

Cycling is the closest thing to me, so forgive me for being able to present it in too colorful a color. Here the matter is simple, you are, there are a bicycle and a road ahead of you. Whether it’s an evening ride or a half-year trip, these three elements remain the same. Solitary driving has a lot of advantages, you can set the pace of driving and the place of rest yourself. There is a lot of time for reflection, most of the topics on the blog came to my mind while cycling. There is a lot of time to listen to podcasts, audiobooks, music; of course, I encourage you to listen at low volume and rather on one handset. Generally speaking, time for oneself is not enough, one does not have to worry about anyone, nor do one take care of anyone.

A great blessing and curse at the same time is the fact that we do not have to deal with anyone. You make the decision that you are going and you just do it. A certain disadvantage is the lack of willingness and motivation. It is easier to mobilize for an agreed ride in a group than to break the time powerlessness on one’s own.

Unfortunately, the advantages of such a ride, which are appreciated during short journeys, may become disadvantages during long journeys. Everything depends on mental resilience. Lone two-week driving can be an adventure for life, but two months can become a tiring nightmare after some time. It is worth gradually increasing the doses of loneliness if you plan to travel far away. This can lead to a loss of motivation. This is especially true for those who train. Driving in a group or even in two people is easier to motivate yourself to “hold the wheel”.

Another disadvantage of driving alone is that it is less safe to drive alone. I don’t want to give you the worst visions now, but a stupid hole in the asphalt is enough to meet the ground and lose consciousness. Driving with someone is very likely to help you get the help you need faster. The second point is technical problems. When driving in a group, especially for a further trip, you can agree to divide the service equipment among the members of the group. Driving alone is not always possible to take everything you might need. For my part, I can recommend that you always carry a pump, an inner tube/flange, and a set of the most needed keys with you. Even when I go to the city or four suburban discs in the evening, I can be sure that when I catch the rubber, I won’t have to call for someone to come for me. On the further routes, it would completely sneeze. Also, have at least a basic first aid kit with you. Elastic bandage, barren gas, slice. This does not take up much space and may it never be useful. But it’s worth it. I wrote more about this in my entry about what to do in case of an accident.
Before you leave home, you should also inform someone where you are going. At least indicate the direction. It’s also good to have a charged phone. There’s nothing more frustrating than a discharged phone when you need it most.

Bicycle safety is also a disadvantage. You don’t always want to trade alone with U-Lock, which weighs 1.5 kilos. It is easier for two to split it in half. Or, for example, watching the bikes in front of the shop is easier. I always choose the shops where you can leave your bike in such a way that you can keep an eye on it all the time. And if there is no such store in the area, I shop at petrol stations. I know it’s not a safety net, but frankly, I don’t want to bargain for anything to do with the bike. I do not encourage and do not encourage, a risk physician to do so.